Pepsin in saliva as a biomarker for oropharyngeal reflux compared with 24-hour esophageal impedance/pH monitoring in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Pepsin in saliva is a proposed biomarker for oropharyngeal reflux. Pepsin may be prevalent in saliva from subjects with gastro-esophageal reflux and may correlate with proximal reflux by intraluminal impedance/pH monitoring (MII/pH). METHODS: Patients (3 days to 17.6 years, n=90) undergoing 24-hour MII/pH monitoring and asymptomatic controls (2 months to 13.7 years, n=43) were included. Salivary pepsin was determined using a pepsin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Eight saliva samples were collected from patients undergoing 24-hr MII/pH: (i) before catheter placement, (ii) before and 30 minutes after each of three meals, and (iii) upon awakening. One sample was collected from each control. KEY RESULTS: In MII/pH subjects, 85.6% (77/90) had at least one pepsin-positive sample compared with 9.3% (4/43) in controls. The range of pepsin observed in individual subjects varied widely over 24 hours. The average pepsin concentration in all samples obtained within 2 hours following the most recent reflux event was 30.7±135 ng/mL, decreasing to 16.5±39.1 ng/mL in samples collected more than 2 hours later. The frequency of pepsin-positive samples correlated significantly with symptom index (rS =0.332, P=.0014), proximal (rS =0.340, P=.0010), and distal (rS =0.272, P=.0095) MII events. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Concentration of salivary pepsin may not be an accurate measure of severity of reflux because of the wide range observed in individuals over 24 hours. Saliva samples must be obtained soon after a reflux event. Defining a regimen for optimal saliva collection may help to achieve the goal of using salivary pepsin as a biomarker for oropharyngeal reflux. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY: NCT01091805.

c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling regulates events associated with both health and degeneration in motoneurons.

The c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) are activated by various stimuli and are critical for neuronal development as well as for death following a stressful stimulus. Here, we have evaluated JNK activity in both healthy and dying motoneurons from developing chick embryos and found no apparent difference in overall JNK activity between the conditions, suggesting that this pathway maybe critical in both circumstances. Pharmacological inhibition of JNK in healthy motoneurons supplied with trophic support resulted in decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, neurite outgrowth, and phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein 1B. On the other hand, in motoneurons deprived of trophic support, inhibition of JNK attenuated caspase activation, and nuclear condensation. We also examined the role of JNK's downstream substrate c-Jun in mediating these events. While c-Jun expression and phosphorylation were greater in cells supplied with trophic support as compared with those deprived, inhibition of c-Jun had no effect on nuclear condensation in dying cells or neurite outgrowth in healthy cells, suggesting that JNK's role in these events is independent of c-Jun. Together, our data underscore the dualistic nature of JNK signaling that is critical for both survival and degenerative changes in motoneurons.

The role of the membrane-spanning domain of type I signal peptidases in substrate cleavage site selection.

Type I signal peptidase (SPase I) catalyzes the cleavage of the amino-terminal signal sequences from preproteins destined for cell export. Preproteins contain a signal sequence with a positively charged n-region, a hydrophobic h-region, and a neutral but polar c-region. Despite having no distinct consensus sequence other than a commonly found c-region "Ala-X-Ala" motif preceding the cleavage site, signal sequences are recognized by SPase I with high fidelity. Remarkably, other potential Ala-X-Ala sites are not cleaved within the preprotein. One hypothesis is that the source of this fidelity is due to the anchoring of both the SPase I enzyme (by way of its transmembrane segment) and the preprotein substrate (by the h-region in the signal sequence) in the membrane. This limits the enzyme-substrate interactions such that cleavage occurs at only one site. In this work we have, for the first time, successfully isolated Bacillus subtilis type I signal peptidase (SipS) and a truncated version lacking the transmembrane domain (SipS-P2). With purified full-length as well as truncated constructs of both B. subtilis and Escherichia coli (Lep) SPase I, in vitro specificity studies indicate that the transmembrane domains of either enzyme are not important determinants of in vitro cleavage fidelity, since enzyme constructs lacking them reveal no alternate site processing of pro-OmpA nuclease A substrate. In addition, experiments with mutant pro-OmpA nuclease A substrate constructs indicate that the h-region of the signal peptide is also not critical for substrate specificity. In contrast, certain mutants in the c-region of the signal peptide result in alternate site cleavage by both Lep and SipS enzymes.

The chemistry and enzymology of the type I signal peptidases.

The discovery that proteins exported from the cytoplasm are typically synthesized as larger precursors with cleavable signal peptides has focused interest on the peptidases that remove the signal peptides. Here, we review the membrane-bound peptidases dedicated to the processing of protein precursors that are found in the plasma membrane of prokaryotes and the endoplasmic reticulum, the mitochondrial inner membrane, and the chloroplast thylakoidal membrane of eukaryotes. These peptidases are termed type I signal (or leader) peptidases. They share the unusual feature of being resistant to the general inhibitors of the four well-characterized peptidase classes. The eukaryotic and prokaryotic signal peptidases appear to belong to a single peptidase family. This review emphasizes the evolutionary concepts, current knowledge of the catalytic mechanism, and substrate specificity requirements of the signal peptidases.

High-level expression of the prohormones proenkephalin, pro-neuropeptide Y, proopiomelanocortin, and beta-protachykinin for in vitro prohormone processing.

Prohormone substrates are required for investigation of the proteolytic processing of prohormones and proproteins into active peptide hormones and neurotransmitters. However, the lack of prohormone proteins has been a limiting factor in elucidating proteolytic mechanisms for conversion of prohormones into active peptides. Therefore, in this study, cloned cDNAs encoding the prohormones proenkephalin (PE), pro-neuropeptide Y (pro-NPY), pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and beta-protachykinin (beta-PT) were utilized to express recombinant prohormones in Escherichia coli. High-level expression of milligrams of prohormones was achieved with the pET3c expression vector utilizing the T7 promoter for production of PE, pro-NPY, and POMC, as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis, Western blots, and 35S-methionine labeling. In addition, beta-PT was expressed at high levels as fusion proteins with the maltose-binding protein and glutathione S-transferase by the pMAL-c and pGEX-2T expression vectors, respectively. Relative rates of processing by the established processing proteases "prohormone thiol protease" (PTP), 70-kDa aspartyl protease, and PC1/ 3 and PC2 (PC, prohormone convertase) were examined with purified PE, pro-NPY, and POMC. Distinct preferences of processing enzymes for different prohormones was demonstrated. PTP preferred PE and pro-NPY substrates, whereas little processing of POMC was detected. In contrast, the 70-kDa aspartyl protease cleaved POMC more readily than pro-NPY or PE. However, PC1/3 and PC2 prefer POMC as substrate. Demonstration of selectivity of processing enzymes for prohormone substrates illustrates the importance of expressing recombinant prohormones for in vitro processing studies.

ACTH-like bioactivity and immunoactivity in fetal lamb pituitaries at 0.65 and 0.95 gestation.

We wished to determine if the concentration of bioactive ACTH-like activity increased during development and if there was heterogeneity in ovine fetal anterior pituitary ACTH activity as measured by bioassay and radioimmunoassay (RIA). We obtained anterior pituitaries from eight sheep fetuses (four at 0.65 and four at 0.95 gestation; term 145 +/- 5 days) and extracted and homogenized them in ice-cold 5N acetic acid, 0.3% phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and 0.2% BSA. Fractionation of each pituitary extract was performed by size-exclusion chromatography using Sepadex G-50. The ACTH-like immunoactivity (ALI) profile for each pituitary showed two well-defined peaks. One eluted with human ACTH1-39 and the other eluted with the high molecular weight fraction in the void volume. Four fractions from the first peak representing the high molecular weight forms of ACTH activity and four fractions from the second peak representing the low molecular weight forms of ACTH activity were pooled separately. These two pools were subjected to reverse-phase chromatography (RPC) on a C-8 column using a linear gradient of 70% acetonitrile in 0.8% trifluoroacetic acid over a 60 min period. Based upon the RIA, the high molecular weight forms of ACTH from the G-50 column were resolved into three main fractions, one eluting similar to the standard ACTH1-39 and the remaining two eluting after that. The low molecular weight forms of ACTH from the G-50 column were resolved into three peaks, before, with, and after the standard. We used collagenase-dispersed rat adrenal cells to test the ACTH-like bioactivity (ALB) of the crude extracts and of the different fractions obtained from the RPC of the high and low molecular weight material. The concentration of ACTH-like bioactivity in the crude extracts was similar at the two stages of gestation. However, there was a trend for the low molecular weight peak to have more peptide eluting with human ACTH1-39 and higher ratios of ALB/ALI than did the high molecular weight peak. These results suggest that multiple ACTH molecular forms with different ALB/ALI ratios are present in the ovine fetal pituitary and that there is no selective increase in ACTH1-39 concentration in the fetal pituitary in late gestation.

Possible involvement of inefficient cleavage of preprovasopressin by signal peptidase as a cause for familial central diabetes insipidus.

A transition of G to A at nucleotide position 279 in exon 1 of the vasopressin gene has been identified in patients with familial central diabetes insipidus. The mutation predicts an amino acid substitution of Thr (ACG) for Ala (GCG) at the COOH terminus of the signal peptide in preprovasopression (preproVP). Translation in vitro of wild-type and mutant mRNAs produced 19-kD preproVPs. When translated in the presence of canine pancreatic rough microsomes, wild-type preproVP was converted to a 21-kD protein, whereas the mutant mRNA produced proteins of 21 kD and 23 kD. NH2-terminal amino acid sequence analysis revealed that the 21-kD proteins from the wild-type and the mutants were proVPs generated by the proteolytic cleavage of the 19-residue signal peptide and the addition of carbohydrate. Accordingly, mutant preproVP was cleaved at the correct site after Thr-19, but the efficiency of cleavage by signal peptidase was < 25% that observed for the wild-type preproVP, resulting in the formation of a predominant glycosylated but uncleaved 23-kD product. These data suggest that inefficient processing of preproVP produced by the mutant allele is possibly involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes insipidus in the affected individuals.

Human coagulation factor X deficiency caused by a mutant signal peptide that blocks cleavage by signal peptidase but not targeting and translocation to the endoplasmic reticulum.

Human factor XSanto Domingo is a form of coagulation factor X in which a mutation within the signal peptide region of the precursor protein has been correlated genetically with a severe deficiency of factor X in the affected individual. A point mutation results in substitution of Arg for Gly at the critical -3 position of the factor X signal peptide. To determine the biochemical effect of this mutation on the biosynthesis of factor X, the wild-type and mutant factor X cDNAs were subcloned into a vector for transcription and translation in vitro. Translation products of mRNAs encoding portions of both mutant and wild-type proteins were used in a systematic biochemical approach to evaluate directly the effect of the mutation on targeting, transport, and proteolytic processing in vitro. The results show that targeting and transport of factor XSanto Domingo to the endoplasmic reticulum are functionally dissociated from the removal of the signal peptide by signal peptidase. Factor XSanto Domingo is translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum but not processed by signal peptidase. Transient expression of the wild-type and mutant factor X in human embryonic kidney 293 cells revealed apparently normal secretion of the glycosylated two-chain form of factor X but no secretion of factor XSanto Domingo. Thus, the inability of signal peptidase to cleave factor XSanto Domingo is directly responsible for the absence of circulating factor X and leads to the bleeding diathesis in the affected individual.

Structural properties and partial protein sequence analysis of the major dermatan sulfate proteoglycan of pigeon aorta.

Dermatan sulfate proteoglycans (DSPG) were extracted from intima-media of grossly normal aortic tissue of White Carneau pigeons and were purified by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel followed by size exclusion chromatography on Sepharose CL-4B. The major aortic DSPG had an average size of 310 kDa. The core protein resulting from treatment of the PG with chondroitinase ABC: (1) was found to be approximately 48 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; (2) was recognized by monoclonal antibody (Mab) 2-B-6 but not by Mab 3-B-3 on Western blots, indicating the presence of delta Di-4S and absence of delta Di-6S; (3) was glycosylated with Asn-linked oligosaccharides; (4) contained a high content of Asx, Glx and Leu, similar to that found for core proteins of this size from other tissues and species and (5) contained an N-terminal sequence (Asp-Glu-Gly-Xaa-Ala-Asp-Met-Pro-Pro-Xaa-Asp-Asp-Pro-Val- Ile-(ile)-Gly-Phe-), which was similar to sequences of DSPG core proteins previously described as 'decorin' and distinct from DSPG described as 'biglycan'. The results suggest that the major DSPG of aorta can be classified as a decorin molecule. The overall size of the DSPG in aorta was larger than decorin molecules described in non-arterial tissues of other species. Evidence is presented to conclude the larger size results from more than one dermatan sulfate-glycosaminoglycan chain.

Molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding the glycoprotein of hen oviduct microsomal signal peptidase.

Detergent-solubilized hen oviduct signal peptidase has been characterized previously as an apparent complex of a 19 kDa protein and a 23 kDa glycoprotein (GP23) [Baker & Lively (1987) Biochemistry 26, 8561-8567]. A cDNA clone encoding GP23 from a chicken oviduct lambda gt11 cDNA library has now been characterized. The cDNA encodes a protein of 180 amino acid residues with a single site for asparagine-linked glycosylation that has been directly identified by amino acid sequence analysis of a tryptic-digest peptide containing the glycosylated site. Immunoblot analysis reveals cross-reactivity with a dog pancreas protein. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of GP23 with the 22/23 kDa glycoprotein of dog microsomal signal peptidase [Shelness, Kanwar & Blobel (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 17063-17070], one of five proteins associated with this enzyme, reveals that the amino acid sequences are 90% identical. Thus the signal peptidase glycoprotein is as highly conserved as the sequences of cytochromes c and b from these same species and is likely to be found in a similar form in many, if not all, vertebrate species. The data also show conclusively that the dog and avian signal peptidases have at least one protein subunit in common.

Evidence that the central region of glycoprotein IIIa participates in integrin receptor function.

We have obtained evidence that the ligand-recognition region of the integrin beta-subunit, platelet glycoprotein IIIa (GPIIIa), is discontinuous. Receptor function can be localized to residues near the N-terminus and to the central region of the polypeptide chain. The epitope recognized by our monoclonal antibody, CS-1, which substantially inhibits fibrin(ogen) binding to ADP- and thrombin-stimulated platelets [Ramsamooj, Doellgast & Hantgan (1990) Thromb. Res. 58, 577-592], is contained within residues 349-422 of GPIIIa. This sequence is adjacent to a proteinase-resistant domain of GPIIIa which is linked by disulphide bond(s) to an N-terminal segment near to the putative Arg-Gly-Asp recognition site [D'Souza, Ginsberg, Burke, Lam & Plow (1988) Science 242, 91-93]. Limited trypsin digestion of purified platelet GPIIIa yielded a mixture of two-chain molecules comprised of an N-terminal fragment disulphide-bonded to one of four fragments, which began at residues 299, 303, 353 or 423. Tryptic cleavage of the 300-422 segment correlated with loss of immunoreactivity with anti-GPIIIa monoclonal antibody, CS-1. Chymotrypsin cleavage of GPIIIa resulted in an N-terminal 19 kDa fragment joined by at least one intrachain cystine residue to a 46 kDa polypeptide beginning at residue 349. Partial reduction with dithiothreitol released the larger chymotryptic fragment with its epitope for CS-1 intact. These results have enabled us to localize the epitope recognized by our inhibitory monoclonal antibody, CS-1, to residues 349-422 of GPIIIa. Our data are consistent with a structure in which both the N-terminal and central regions of GPIIIa, which may be in close proximity in the functional GPIIb-IIIa complex, participate in ligand binding.

Residues flanking the COOH-terminal C-region of a model eukaryotic signal peptide influence the site of its cleavage by signal peptidase and the extent of coupling of its co-translational translocation and proteolytic processing in vitro.

The polar, COOH-terminal c-region of signal peptides has been considered to be most important for influencing the efficiency and fidelity of signal peptidase cleavage while the hydrophobic core or h-region appears indispensable for initiating translocation. To identify structural features of residues flanking the c-region that influence the fidelity and efficiency of signal peptidase cleavage as well as co-translational translocation, we introduced six amino acid substitutions into the COOH terminus of the hydrophobic core and seven substitutions at the NH2 terminus of the mature region (the +1 position) of a model eukaryotic preprotein-human pre(delta pro)apoA-II. This preprotein contains several potential sites for signal peptidase cleavage. The functional consequences of these mutations were assayed using an in vitro co-translational translocation/processing system and by post-translational cleavage with purified, detergent-solubilized, hen oviduct signal peptidase. The efficiency of translocation could be correlated with the hydrophobic character of the residue introduced at the COOH terminus of the h-region. Some h/c boundary mutants underwent co-translational translocation across the microsomal membrane with only minimal cleavage yet they were cleaved post-translationally by hen oviduct signal peptidase more efficiently than other mutants which exhibited a high degree of coupling of co-translational translocation and cleavage. These data suggest that features at the COOH terminus of the h-domain can influence "presentation" of the cleavage site to signal peptidase. The +1 residue substitutions had minor effects on the extent of co-translational translocation and processing. However, these +1, as well as h/c boundary mutations, had dramatic effects on the site of cleavage chosen by signal peptidase, indicating that residues flanking the c-region of this prototypic eukaryotic signal peptide can affect the fidelity of its proteolytic processing. The site(s) selected by canine microsomal and purified hen oviduct signal peptidase were very similar, suggesting that "intrinsic" structural features of this prepeptide can influence the selectivity of eukaryotic signal peptidase cleavage, independent of the microsomal membrane and associated translocation apparatus.

Parallel effects of signal peptide hydrophobic core modifications on co-translational translocation and post-translational cleavage by purified signal peptidase.

The length of the hydrophobic core of the bovine parathyroid hormone signal peptide was modified by in vitro mutagenesis. Extension of the hydrophobic core by three amino acids at the NH2-terminal end had little effect on the proteolytic processing of the signal peptide by microsomal membranes. Deletion of 6 of the 12 amino acids in the core eliminated translocation and processing of the modified protein. Deletion of pairs of amino acids across the core resulted in position-dependent inhibition of signal activity unrelated to hydrophobicity but inversely related to the hydrophobic moments of the modified cores. Deletions in the NH2-terminal region of the core were strongly inhibitory for proteolytic processing whereas deletions in the COOH-terminal region had no effect or increased processing when assessed either co-translationally with microsomal membranes or post-translationally with purified hen oviduct signal peptidase. Deletion of cysteine 18 and alanine 19 increased processing, but deletion of cysteine alone or substitution of leucine for cysteine did not increase processing more than deletion of both residues at 18 and 19. Translations of the translocation-defective mutants with pairs of amino acids deleted in a wheat germ system were inhibited by addition of exogenous signal recognition particle suggesting that interactions of the modified signal peptides with signal recognition particle were normal. The position-dependent effects of the hydrophobic core modifications indicate that structural properties of the core in addition to hydrophobicity are important for signal activity. The parallel effects of the modifications on co-translational translocation and post-translational processing by purified signal peptidase suggest that proteins in the signal peptidase complex might be part of, or intimately associated with, membrane proteins involved in the translocation. A model is proposed in which the NH2-terminal region of the hydrophobic core binds to one subunit of the signal peptidase while the other subunit catalyzes the cleavage.

Synthetic substrate for eukaryotic signal peptidase. Cleavage of a synthetic peptide analog of the precursor region of preproparathyroid hormone.

A synthetic peptide analog of the precursor region of preproparathyroid hormone has been shown to be a specific substrate for hen oviduct signal peptidase. The sequence of the 31-residue peptide is Ser-Ala-Lys-Asp-norleucine (Nle)-Val-Lys-Val-Nle-Ile-Val-Nle-Leu-Ala-Ile-Ala-Phe-Leu-Ala-Arg-Ser-As p-Gly-Lys-Ser-Val-Lys-Lys-Arg-D-Tyr-amide (Caulfield, M. P., Duong, L. T., O'Brien, R., Majzoub, J. A., and Rosenblatt, M. (1988) Mol. Endocrinol. 2, 452-458). This sulfur-free signal peptide analog can be labeled with 125I on the C-terminal D-tyrosine and is cleaved by purified hen oviduct signal peptidase between Gly and Lys, the correct site of cleavage of preproparathyroid hormone in vivo. Amino acid sequence analysis of the cleavage product released 125I at the seventh cycle of Edman degradation, confirming that enzymatic cleavage occurs at the physiological site. Synthetic peptide analogs of the substrate with Lys, Pro, or Asp substituted for Nle-18 were poor substrates for the enzyme and were also poor competitive inhibitors of catalysis, suggesting that modifications at position -18, 12 amino acids from the site of cleavage, directly influence binding by the enzyme. Analysis of the reactivity of signal peptidase with these synthetic peptides provides insight into the cleavage specificity requirements of this eukaryotic signal peptidase.

Amino acid sequence of guinea pig C3a anaphylatoxin.

The anaphylatoxin peptide, C3a, was isolated in its inactive des-arginine form from complement-activated guinea pig serum and the complete amino acid sequence was determined. The peptide was isolated using a modification of previously described methods for anaphylatoxin purification and yielded 18 mg of guinea C3ades Arg judged homogeneous by cellulose acetate electrophoresis, high performance liquid chromatography, amino acid composition, and sequence analyses. The complete amino acid sequence of the molecule was determined by automated Edman degradation of intact C3ades Arg following performic acid oxidation, and of four peptides obtained from CNBr, endoproteinase Lys-C, or endoproteinase Glu-C (V8 protease) digests of reduced and alkylated C3ades Arg. The sequence is as follows: Guinea pig C3ades Arg has approximately 70% overall sequence identity with human, porcine, rat and mouse anaphylatoxins. As with C3a's from other species, the guinea pig molecule has an invariant C-terminal tetrapeptide sequence, LGLA, and six invariant cysteinyl residues at positions 23, 24, 37, 50, 57, and 58.

Complete amino acid sequence of rat liver 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase.

The complete amino acid sequence of 6-phospho-fructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase from rat liver was determined by direct analysis of the S-carboxamidomethyl protein. A complete set of nonoverlapping peptides was produced by cleavage with a combination of cyanogen bromide and specific proteolytic enzymes. The active enzyme is a dimer of two identical polypeptide chains composed of 470 amino acids each. The NH2-terminal amino acid residue of the polypeptide chain was shown to be N-acetylserine by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry of the purified N-terminal tetradecapeptide isolated after cleavage of the intact S-carboxamidomethylated protein with lysyl endoproteinase (Achromobacter protease I). Alignment of the set of unique peptides was accomplished by the analysis of selected overlapping peptides generated by proteolytic cleavage of the intact protein and the larger purified cyanogen bromide peptides with trypsin, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, and lysyl endoproteinase. Four nonoverlapping peptides were aligned by comparison with the amino acid sequence predicted from a partial cDNA clone encoding amino acid positions 166-470 of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (Colosia, A.D., Lively, M., El-Maghrabi, M. R., and Pilkis, S. J. (1987) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 143, 1092-1098). The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA corroborated the peptide sequence determined by direct methods. A search of the Protein Identification Resource protein sequence database revealed that the overall amino acid sequence appears to be unique since no obviously homologous sequences were identified. However, a 100-residue segment of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (residues 250-349), including the active site histidine residue of the bisphosphatase domain, was found to be homologous to the active site regions of yeast phosphoglycerate mutase and human bisphosphoglycerate mutase.

Purification and characterization of hen oviduct microsomal signal peptidase.

Hen oviduct signal peptidase requires only two proteins for proteolysis of fully synthesized secretory precursor proteins in vitro: one with a molecular mass of 19 kilodaltons (kDa) and one which is a glycoprotein whose mass varies from 22 to 24 kDa depending on the extent of glycosylation. Purified signal peptidase has been analyzed both as part of an active catalytic unit and after electroelution of the individual proteins out of a preparative polyacrylamide gel. The multiple forms of the glycoprotein component of signal peptidase bind to concanavalin A and are shown to be derived from the same polypeptide backbone. Removal of their oligosaccharides by digestion with N-glycanase converts these proteins to a single 19.5-kDa polypeptide. The glycoproteins all exhibit very similar profiles following individual digestion with trypsin and separation of the resulting peptides by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. In addition, sequence analysis of selected peptides from corresponding regions in chromatograms representing each form of the glycoprotein reveals the same amino acid sequences. The 19-kDa signal peptidase protein does not bind concanavalin A, has a distinct tryptic peptide map from that of the glycoprotein, and appears to share no amino acid sequences in common with the glycoprotein. Its copurification on a concanavalin A-Sepharose column indicates that it must interact directly with the glycoprotein subunit.

Active site sequence of hepatic fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase. Homology in primary structure with phosphoglycerate mutase.

The reaction mechanism of rat hepatic fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase involves the formation of a phosphohistidine intermediate. In order to determine the sequence around the active site histidine, the enzyme was incubated with [2-32P]fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, denatured, and treated with trypsin or endoproteinase Lys-C. The resultant labeled 32P-phosphopeptides were purified by gel filtration, anion exchange chromatography, and reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography. The sequence of the tryptic peptide was determined to be HGESELNLR, while the partial sequence of the endoproteinase Lys-C peptide was IFDVGTRYMVNRVQDHVQSRTAYYLMNIHVTPRSIYLRHGESEL. The active site sequence was compared with the active site sequence of other enzymes that catalyze phospho group transfer via a phosphohistidine intermediate. Active site sequences of phosphoglycerate mutase and bisphosphoglycerate synthase were highly homologous with the active site of fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase implying a structural similarity and a common evolutionary origin.